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Southampton Lions Club faces uncertain future

SOUTHAMPTON charity which donates all its contributions to Hampshire communities is in danger of folding.

Southampton Lions Club has provided tens of thousands of pounds to organisations for more than 50 years, but that lifeline for the charities looks to be vanishing unless volunteers can be found.

Currently there are only eight members and there are fears about what would happen to the fundraising club in the future. The club raised £4,000 for good causes last year.

Now it has launched a membership drive at its usual meeting place, the Bridge Inn, Woolston.

Club secretary, Colin Rickman said it would be “disappointing” if the club – which has been going since 1962 – was to go, adding that it supports many issues in the city.

“We need to build up the membership.

We’ve got to rebuild it. We want to get it up to about 25 members so that we can get some good activities going. There’s no administration to pay for, we do that out of our own pockets, everything we raise goes to the causes.

The Piam Brown children’s cancer ward at Southampton General Hospital is one of the good causes which has benefited from the club over the year with £2,000 donated, which was used to buy equipment for a new sensory room.

Funding and event coordinator Rachel Furnell said: “The money they have raised goes a long way It’s incredible what they provide for us.”

MrRickman added that members can sign up for £1 and take part in as much or as little as they like.